Page 68 of Tall, Royal and Grumpy

I didn’t know about Kai, but I couldn’t remember the last time I had just drifted off the way most people did. Not since I’d stopped sleeping eight years ago after Mother passed away.

Every night since, sleep had been a temperamental mistress that needed coaxing to come to me. She hadn’t willingly taken me in so long that sometimes I forgot sleeping every night was a normal occurrence for the majority.

But with Kai, sleep had wrapped me in her arms so tightly it was almost like I hadn’t spent nearly a third of my life fighting her moody arse. Actually, I didn’t think I’d ever slept so well before.

Kai’s throat bobbed slowly as his glazed eyes searched mine. His slow smile was so damn beautiful, I couldn’t help but return it.

The only other person in the room cleared his throat loudly, not quite bursting the bubble around me and Kai, but still poking through. “Are you two done giving each other googly eyes?”

We weren’t done but Kai reluctantly dragged his gaze to his younger brother, and I followed suit. The way Fay was knowingly smirking made me blush. I wasn’t naked, but I pulled the blanket up closer to my chin as if I was, feeling shy. He must’ve noticed because he laughed.

“If you’re not decent, hurry up and get decent before I tell everyone I’ve found you and they come running,” Fay teased.

“Why would you tell everyone?” Kai asked as he pushed himself up, making sure the blanket stayed tucked around me.

“Because we’ve all been bloody looking for you both for the last ten minutes, that’s why.”

“Looking for us?” I echoed, rising onto my elbows.

“Yes.”

That was when my eyes dropped to his clothes again.

He wasn’t in pyjamas. He was dressed in a V-neck sweater and chinos like it was…

A hard jab of alarm made me bolt straight up and glance at the two sets of windows. The red curtains were still drawn but glimmers of sunlight peeked through the sides.

Already morning.

“What time is it?” I heard Kai ask and I apprehensively glanced back to Fay.

He smirked. “It’s past nine. And you lovebirds didn’t show up at the start of breakfast.”

No…

Gone was my contentment, leaving dread and fear to curdle my insides until I felt nauseous. Because if I hadn’t turned up for breakfast then…

Kareem.

* * *

KAI

I resisted the urge to shift awkwardly on the sofa as my mother, Queen Leila, clasped each of my hands in hers. She swallowed me up in the bottomless gaze I’d inherited from her.

“Did you sleep with her, Kai?” she asked in a dead serious tone.

My eyes went wide as spluttering coughs erupted from my mouth. I quickly pursed my lips together to hold them in. “What?” I croaked, heat swarming my face and ears.

I didn’t know if I could call what Esmeralda and I did “sleeping together.” But perfection? Fuck yes.

Just thinking about it—I shouldn’t be thinking about it. I risked a hard-on in front of my family, but I couldn’t help but think about it.

Last night was the first time I’d ever let go like that. Just given in to the side of me that demanded submission and wanted to dominate instead of trying to lock away the feeling.

I’d still been fucking scared at first. I had worried that Esmeralda would see how rough I wanted to be, and it would make her uneasy. But gosh, how bloody wrong she’d proved me.

Her assurance and trust completely freed me from every fear and concern. She purposely riled me, not pleading to be dominated but demanding it like a punishment-hungry brat. And fuck, her every reaction had been as if I was giving her everything she’d ever wanted. I completely lost my mind in pleasuring and punishing her. But I wasn’t going to tell my entire family that.

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